Letters to the Editor

Swimming upstream

I am writing to applaud the story by Lynda V. Mapes ("That Dam Problem," March 5). I worked as the executive director of the Columbia Fish and Wildlife Authority for the past three years until my retirement in July 2005. This is by far the best summary of the Columbia River mess, as I call it. It is amazing to me that the situation can be so expensive with little, if any, progress toward really solving the problem.

I have two thoughts for further inquiry.

First: The role of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council is a big part of the problem. Lack of leadership on their part has stalled many efforts to address the real issues. They now seek compromise on fish issues while doing the bidding of the hydro system. The council did some wonderful work in its early days but now has become an ineffective group of political appointees that micromanage an operational program and do little in the way of providing good strategic direction or conflict resolution. It's a shame.

Second: It is well understood behind the scenes that the hydro players like the status quo. It is unlikely that a real solution from the next rewrite of the Biological Opinion from NOAA Fisheries will emerge. In the meantime, the abundant cheap power keeps flowing, and the benefits from the power generation overshadow the real costs of fish recovery. BPA uses its money and clout to prevent the obvious real solutions from being implemented and has just removed one of the real sources of true information by eliminating the fish passage center.

The group doing the talking, as ordered by Judge Redden, is incomplete. To get at the real problem the fish and hydro interests represented by the environmental groups and the hydro business representatives also need to be at the table. Their conflicts will continue until a better method than lawsuits is available, but as long as the status quo is viewed as more favorable than a real solution things will not change.

I fear that Columbia River salmon and steelhead will never see recovery unless a change on the magnitude of the intervention to solve the spotted-owl problem occurs.

Thanks for the great story.

Rod Sando, Woodburn, Ore.

Battle of the bugs

Thank you for the article by David Berger on madrone trees ("Mayhem among the Madrones," Feb. 5). For what it's worth, I have found a simple, cheap and nontoxic treatment for powdery mildews — another fungal disease — that works on smooth-leaved plants (not fuzzy, crinkly ones): hydrogen peroxide. Dilute the commercial solution about ¼ cup or less to a quart of water, spray on leaves and affected twigs, tree trunks, stems, etc. Repeat about a week later to get rid of the spores. (Worked wonders on Oregon grape.)

Perhaps it would help save the madrones.

— Maria Abdin, Seattle

Not quite in the swing

Much as I enjoyed reading Seattle "The Romance of Dance" on Feb. 12, I also found an aspect of the local dance scene curiously missing. In photographs and text, I found references to many dances and studios, yet not a word was there about a dance that — quite possibly — surpasses all others as a gracious and graceful ice-breaker, the aptly named West Coast Swing.

The studios mentioned in your article teach other dances, including the East Coast Swing, a.k.a. Lindy or Jitterbug, a very physical and often brutally fast dance that is hardly elegant, with an occasional nod to its West Coast cousin. WCS, on the other hand, is flowing and sensual, able to accommodate most musical styles, thus universal and oh, so good to watch and dance.

I am not a teacher, nor do I have a studio that was not mentioned in your article, prompting a protest. Far from it, I would find it distasteful to write this letter, were I directly involved in the business of dance.

I have been dancing since I was a kid and I like many a dance, but finding the WCS was quite an event for me. I would be more than delighted to send you information about sources and resources, should you want to delve into this subject again.

Your article has done much good in promoting the notion of partner dancing as something desirable. I sincerely hope that it will not be the last one on this subject.

— Slawek Porowski, Bellevue

The rhythm is gonna get you

Thank you so much for the article about ballroom dancing in Seattle ("The Romance of Dance," Feb. 12). I'm a huge fan of the Century Ballroom myself, taking advantage of their free group salsa lessons on Thursdays, rubbing elbows with the real dancers later in the evening. What a gas! And what a gift to Seattle!

The thing I love about Century Ballroom is the refreshing break from the strictly segregated club scenes in Seattle. You know, you can only go to this club if you're under 30 and to this other one if you're into hip-hop, this one if you just spent your entire paycheck on a new outfit to pass the bouncer's muster. The Century Ballroom is far more like the scene in Europe or Latin America . . . a broad swath of ages, skin tones and socio-economic status. And people are there to dance!

I'm glad you brought this to the attention of the Pacific Northwest readers . . . I only hope there will still be room to move after more people discover these gems in our midst!

— Sherry Howland, Seattle

Send letters to the editor to Pacific Northwest

magazine, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111, or e-mail pacificnw@seattletimes.com. Include a telephone number for verification.